Contents

Morphology

The Glider's exoskeleton consists of a magnetic underside and a
hard outer shell. The creature flies in a set path, much like the
Ripper. The Glider is one
of the two organisms that Samus Aran can record in her Logbook that do no physical
body harm, the other being the Tangle Weed. The main use that Samus has for the
Glider is its magnetic underbelly, which she can latch onto with
her Grapple
Beam.

Gliders are vulnerable to the Ice Beam and can be frozen to force the creature to
stay in one place, making swinging across gaps much easier for
Samus. The Glider seems to let out a cry of some sort when they are
grappled onto, most likely because of the creature feeling
threatened or being in pain.

Their magnetic signature is attuned to common Grapple Beam
technology, which inspired the sport of Glider Riding.

Logbook

The Glider is a docile, airborne creature with unusual
magnetic properties. Gliders live a relatively peaceful existence.
They have a magnetic signature attuned to common Grapple Beam
technology; the sport of 'Glider riding' involves using a Grapple
to attach to a Glider, then attempting to stay on it as long as
possible.[1]

Trivia

Ironically, the only piece of Glider artwork shows an
overhead view, while throughout the game Samus can only see the
underside of a Glider due to their high elevation.

References

↑"The Glider is a docile, airborne
creature with unusual magnetic properties. Gliders live a
relatively peaceful existence. They have a magnetic signature
attuned to common Grapple Beam technology; the sport of 'Glider
riding' involves using a Grapple to attach to a Glider, then
attempting to stay on it as long as possible." — Logbook "Glider" (Metroid
Prime)